NEWSLETTER 4/2022

Dear Parents
Termination of the National State of Disaster

On Monday, 4 April 2022, President Cyril Ramaphosa formally declared the end of the National State of Disaster. This means that all Regulations and Directions made in terms of the Disaster Management Act have been repealed with immediate effect, with the exception of a few transitional measures - which will automatically lapse after 30 days.

The significant impact on our school routine, is that mandatory symptom and temperature screening using an infra-red thermometer is no longer applicable. To this end, the pupils will no longer have to present themselves for screening as they have been doing under the Covid Alert Level protocols.

This means that Junior School and High School pupils may once again be dropped off anywhere (except the staff parking area outside Reception, the thoroughfare between the school hall and Junior School, and on the grass area opposite the tennis courts where our buses need to park) and make their way directly to their classrooms in the mornings.

The specific details regarding the morning / daily registrations will be conveyed to the pupils by Mrs Wickham (Junior School logistics) and Mr Mitchley (High School logistics).
The transitional measures that remain in place, until the new Health Regulations are gazetted, are:

• mandatory mask wearing in indoor public spaces;
• washing of hands with soap or sanitizer; and
• limitation on numbers during gatherings.
  

Please note that we remain cognisant of the fact that the end of the National State of Disaster does not mark the end of the pandemic. We are also aware that some households are still vulnerable through comorbidities. Therefore, we shall continue to observe the transitional measures outlined above for the safety and wellness of our pupils, staff and parents.

Parents are also reminded to keep children at home if they show any Covid symptoms.
I take this opportunity to wish all of our Felixton College families excellent health and safe passage through what promises to be an incredibly busy and exciting Term 2.